It look a bit longer than expected, but the Eagles have finally made a free agent signing of the offseason. According to Zac Berman of The Athletic, the Eagles are planning on signing Tampa Bay safety Andrew Adams to a one-year deal.
The details of the contract are not yet available, but it’s most likely a league minimum contract for the former Buccaneer.
Adams won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay last season, playing primarily on special teams. He only logged 26 defensive snaps last season with the Bucs.
Entering his sixth year, the 28-year-old Adams has been a backup for the majority of his NFL career. He’s started 32 of his 73 career games and has recorded 6 interceptions over his five year career.
Adams’ best season came in 2018 with Tampa Bay. Despite only starting four games that season, Adams still managed to intercept 4 passes, record 9 pass deflections, and tally 38 combined tackles. His strong play led to 11 starts on Tampa Bay’s defense the following year, but the production tailored off. In 2019, Adams picked off 1 pass, while recording just 3 pass deflections and 46 combined tackles.
His lack luster play in 2019 played a role in Tampa Bay selecting safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Adams subsequently found a role on special teams, where he played 297 snaps in 2020.
With the loss of Jalen Mills and Rudy Ford this offseason, the Eagles just needed to add bodies to their defensive secondary. Adams shouldn’t be penciled in as a starter, but with the inexperience of last year’s fourth round pick K’Von Wallace, along with the fact that Rodney McLeod may start the season on the PUP list, Adams could see extensive playing time at safety in Jonathan Gannon’s defense early on.
This signing feels like more of a replacement for Ford than it does for Mills, given Adams’ experience on special teams. Adams will likely fill the special teams ace role that Ford occupied last season.
Does this signing mean the Eagles aren’t going to pursue Malik Hooker? It certainly makes it seem more unlikely.
Hooker is someone I’ve written about a few times as a perfect fit for this new-look Eagles defense. Not to mention that he’ll most likely be a very cheap option with a ton of upside.
We’ll have to sit back and wait to see what else the Eagles have up their sleeves for this free agency period. But if this signing is any indication, it’ll be very anticlimactic.
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